A.N: Holy shit, almost 150 reviews. That's amazing ! Thank you SO MUCH for all of this, it's really incredible. I can't put into words how much it means to me.

I hope I won't disappoint too many of you with everything.

This chapter takes place during seventh year. Middle - actually, almost end of the Horcrux Hunt. Yes, another Time Skip. I warned you.

Enjoy.


Chapter 3:


Renato wasn't supposed to be in Britain, and he wasn't happy about it.

He was supposed to be in China, finishing up that work that would end up in a deal with the Triads. One that would allow him to keep his friendly relationship with Fon while not being always bothered by the Triads trying to get one on him.

However something in his mission status had looked odd. So, suspicious, he'd followed a trail of barely there indications that he was being played.

Which was how he'd ended up in Britain, right in the middle of what seemed to be a terrorist wave. Hence the reason the hitman was so very annoyed. Terrorists were a pain in the ass, and more importantly, they were the government's job and heavily monitored. So he couldn't do anything about the nuisance, not without risking both his safety, his identity, and more importantly breaking Omerta.

Renato might be one of the best there was, it didn't mean he felt like defying the Vindice. He liked chaos, but he was neither crazy nor suicidal, thank you very much.

The hitman sighed, reviewing his file once more.

It turned out he had been right, although not the way he'd thought. While something was wrong, it seemed to be a genuine mistake, not a trap from the Triads. The paper trail had been erased, but still he'd found evidence. His target was more than just a misbehaving mafioso. He had also been old English nobility.

Had been, being the key words, Renato thought to himself as he stepped gingerly over the cooling corpse.

The man, Damian Greengrass, had a few more family members that would probably find his corpse over the next few days. Apparently, he was a bachelor, with very little traces of himself in the world. Really, if it weren't for a few details, Renato would have thought the man's whole life didn't exist on paper. How odd. But not the oddest he'd ever seen, he supposed. The mafia was always full of strange things, and people attempting to erase their identities was far from unusual.

Humming to himself, Renato got out of the house, and into the streets.

The city, a welsh one, was nice enough, if a bit empty. Apparently the terrorist threat wasn't taken lightly. Well, he amended as he spied a group of teens hurriedly making their way towards the end of the street, not too lightly. He wondered if they had escaped curfew to go to a bar or something – he certainly could use some good alcohol right now.

"-unwise," a female voice came from the group, as he followed them leisurely – probably belonging to the dark, bushy haired girl, he thought, "It's dangerous to be so out in the open ! Especially on our own !"

"I know, but strategically," a male voice – the red-head, Renato thought – said, "It's the best way." He smiled at the girl, a bit tensely. "Come on, 'mione, have a bit of faith."

"I can take care of myself," the third person, a teenage boy with dark messy hair, added with determination, "No one would be looking for me alone. Especially not in a dirty old pub or something like that."

The girl made a noise of disagreement, but didn't argue further. Renato wondered absently about them. Rebellious teenagers, trying to escape the stifling care of their parents ? Or maybe trying to escape some annoyance or another – a bully, maybe. Ah well, he thought, none of his business.

He swerved to the right, taking another alley.

Thus he completely missed the way the three teenagers looked over their shoulders warily, fingering something in their pockets, looking like hunted prey. He missed the way they hugged, shortly, before splitting in two groups so that they would attract less unwanted attention, and promised to see each other the next day, at another location.

Eventually, Renato found his way to a bar, where he sighed in relief as he sunk into one of the chairs in a corner. He ordered whiskey, and relaxed a little in his seat as he looked around himself. He was clearly surrounded by civilians, none of them really noteworthy.

Perhaps, he mused as he eyed the way one woman in another corner was watching him, he could even indulge in a little fun. After all, he'd just finished a job, and would be leaving Britain the next day. What harm could it do ?

Just as he was taking the first sip of his drink, debating whether to approach the woman or to wait to see if someone else caught his attention, the bell jingled. He turned towards the entrance, and raised an eyebrow minutely when he recognized the teen with dark hairs from before.

Now that they were out of the dark streets, Renato could see him much better. He hummed appreciatively.

The young man looked to be maybe nineteen. A bit on the short side, but his features betrayed something older. Golden skin and messy black hair weren't his most defining features, as he had a nice jawline with a little stubble, and a straight nose. He seemed to have clear, almond shaped eyes hidden behind those glasses of his.

Renato leaned slightly in his seat, sparing a look for the woman from before. She too, was eyeing the teen with interest, seeing him as an easier prey perhaps.

Well. That just wouldn't do.

"Excuse me," Renato called lightly, his voice not too loud – just enough to draw the teen's attention, but not anyone else's. He smiled his best charming smile, as he gestured at the seats around the table he was at, "If you're searching for a place to sit, there are free chairs here."

The teen's eyes widened a little, his lips parting in surprise for a second, before they narrowed again. He gave Renato a once-over that made him arch an eyebrow with amusement. Then, finally, the young man seemed to reach a decision and shrugged. He came to Renato's table, and drew a chair, sitting in front of him.

"Thank you for the offer," he said simply, a bit warily. Renato found that he had a charming British accent, with a hint of- was that Scottish, perhaps.

"No trouble," Renato said, smiling charmingly at him, "It's not everyday you see such a lovely young man as you. I had to take the chance to take a closer look."

The teen's eyes, which were, now that he was closer, a gorgeous green, widened a little. A shame, Renato thought, that they were hidden behind those hideous glasses.

Then, after seemingly searching for the proof that it was a joke or a lie and finding none, the teen relaxed ever so slightly. Renato supposed that he wasn't used to men attempting to hit on him – he himself would admit that he usually preferred women, but this young man was easy on the eyes, and some change wouldn't hurt.

Said young man's cheeks darkened a little, as his lips twitched.

"Oh," he said, and this time the once-over he gave Renato was slower, and much more appreciative, "Well, your not bad yourself. Though I have to wonder who I'm talking to ?"

"I'm Renato, bello," Renato said – the teen was a civilian, wouldn't recognize his name. He all but purred, "And who might you be ?"

Harry twitched slightly in his seat, a bit surprised.

This was certainly not what he had expected would happen, after he'd gone separately from Ron and Hermione. Still, he supposed it was better than a surprise Death Eater attack. Yes, he thought as he once again looked at the man in front of him, much better than an attack.

The man was clearly foreign – he had the tan, and of course the accent, of an Italian. The suit and fedora gave him a look of class, and slightly of danger, but Harry's instincts weren't shouting at him to run away so it should be good.

He had very good instincts, after all, honed by years of dangerous encounters, and the last year on the run, on the Horcrux hunt.

And those instincts were currently telling him that the Italian man, Renato, was absolutely honest in his venture – which was, apparently, trying to charm the pants off Harry. Which, Harry had to admit, didn't sound that bad. He certainly had nothing better to do, and nowhere to go, really, until the next day when he would meet up with his friends again.

Besides, it didn't hurt that the man was good looking. Forget the clothes, he had quite the fine features, dark eyes, sharp cheekbones, with messy dark hairs – almost as bad as his own, he thought with inward amusement – and curly sideburns, and certainly a good figure.

Harry wasn't ashamed to show his appreciation, since it was reciprocated. It wasn't as though it was his first flirt, not even with a man. He had had some interesting times, as Skull, just before he'd turned sixteen.

As Daniela had pointed out with a smirk, you'd be surprised at how much people liked a bad boy with a pretty face. Some people actually liked the emo-punk look, the make up and all the leather. Harry – Skull – had been a bit surprised, pleasantly so, before deciding that, what the hell, he was young, he could experiment a bit.

So, he was both interested and flattered, and the man wasn't a threat to him. That, and he was clearly a muggle, since he hadn't shown any recognition at his scar – in fact, Harry was quite sure he hadn't yet noticed it, which was always nice.

"I'm Harry," he told the man, smiling a little, knowing that his name wouldn't really matter to that man who didn't know him. If it ended in a one night stand, they wouldn't ever see each other again, anyway. He added, making small talk, "You are Italian ?"

"I am," the man said, with an almost purr in his voice – Harry repressed a shiver, wondering how the man did it, and if there was a way he could do it too, because shit that was hot, "I'm here on a business trip. You're from around here ?"

"Not really, I'm from Surrey," Harry told him, seeing no harm in that little truth. When the man nodded, but didn't reply just yet, he went on, "So, what sort of business are you here for ?"

"I was meeting a business associate, actually," Renato said, taking a sip of his drink. He eyed Harry, "You want something to drink ? My treat."

Harry shrugged, before waving the waitress. He ordered a pint of cider, before turning back to the man. Renato was watching him with slight amusement, and still that same look on his face that said that he certainly hoped to conclude business that evening. Just not the kind he was in Britain for.

They kept making small talk, never really saying anything interesting. Renato had sometimes an arrogant drawl to his words, that unpleasantly reminded Harry of some self-assured purebloods. However, with the clothes the man wore, he didn't doubt that his claims of being one of the best in his field were true. He decided to just ignore the few times the man was a bit too arrogant for his liking. After all, this would only be a one-night stand if anything, and he wasn't required to like the man's personality.

Making more small-talk Harry learned that Renato would leave the next morning, for China, and in return told him that he would also be leaving Wales the next morning, as he was headed to London with friends.

Harry asked lightly about Italy, since the man had to know about it. Renato was no story-teller, but he was surprisingly good at talking about his birth country. He clearly loved the place, and it showed. It made Harry think that perhaps, once everything had blown over, he would head to Italy. he wondered if all italians had such pride in their country, though.

Eventually, they both finished their drinks, and Renato asked Harry with another of those tone that made him shiver all over, if he wanted to accompany him to his hotel room. Harry, certainly not against sleeping in a real, warm bed, having access to a shower, and to a gorgeous looking man to boot, agreed easily.

It certainly promised to be an interesting night.


The next day, Harry slipped out of the hotel room after a warm shower. The night had been quite amazing. Renato certainly had experience enough to make it Harry's best night to date. It turned out his boasts over his skill in bed weren't without reason. Really, if the man could just turn the arrogance down a bit, he would be even more pleasant company, Harry would bet.

What had made it better, was that Renato hadn't reacted much to the few scars on Harry's skin – something that Harry appreciated, and in return he had ignored the ones on the man's own skin.

He wondered what sort of job, or childhood, perhaps, Renato had to gather some of those. Ah well, not his business.

He thought that perhaps Renato had been awake when he left, but had let him leave without saying anything. Harry appreciated that, too. He simply left a note, saying thank you for the night and that he hoped Renato's trip to China would go well. It was common courtesy, given that he was leaving without a word after what had been a really nice night.

When he finally found Ron and Hermione, he looked certainly more refreshed than them. So much that Ron actually remarked on it.

"Blimey, mate, where did you sleep ?" he asked. "You look well-rested !"

"Five stars hotel, actually," Harry grinned at him, feeling quite good about himself. "The bed was wonderful." Then, with a cheeky grin. "Though not as good as the company."

"Oh Merlin's-" Ron started, eyes widening in stunned understanding. He then hissed, half-gleeful half-reproachful, "You got laid !"

Harry's reply was a wide grin and a wink. Hermione shook her head in amusement, while Ron looked torn between pressing for details and reprimanding his friend for being careless.

Thankfully, neither commented on Ginny. After all, the two of them had broken up before the hunt, and even if they got together again after it all ended, for the moment they had no obligations. Still, Harry planned on having a long talk about everything with red-head, eventually, even if in the end they didn't renew their relationship.


Meanwhile, Renato smiled bemusedly at the simple note left by the young man, Harry.

While clearly not the most experienced lover, he hadn't been bad at all, very considerate, and letting Renato take the reins when it became clear that he knew what he was doing. They had gone slow, making sure to give each other as much pleasure as they received. It had been, all in all, one of the most pleasant nights Renato had in a while. Surprising, given that the last time he'd slept with a man, it hadn't been as pleasant. At all.

It had certainly helped that the young man hadn't said anything about his scars, like others had the habit to do. Of course, it probably had to do with the fact that Renato hadn't commented on Harry's own scars. It wasn't his business, even if he didn't like the signs that pointed towards probably an abusive childhood.

In his line of work, he had seen worse, and refraining from commenting was just polite.

At least, he thought as he took a shower, Harry hadn't expected anything more. He had actually thought, when he'd heard the scribbling, that he would find a phone number, or a last name, or something else- but no. Harry had simply thanked him, and wished him a good trip.

Such a sweet kid. With really gorgeous green eyes, too. Shame he had those glasses.


Neither of them noticed the slight twinge deep in their souls, in their flames, the only proof that for the first time in his life, Renato Sinclair had met a Sky worthy of him. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

A few days later, Harry Potter walked to his death. Much later, he would notice that the odd fire he sometimes could invoke was purely purple now.

He would never know what caused it, and years later, when he learned what Sky flames were, he would wonder.

Was it the act of dying, that had shattered him so intimately it had broken him. Was it the war as a whole, killing people and more importantly losing them, losing important people that he had bonded with, maybe even harmonized with without realizing. Was it the loss of part of his soul – not really his but it had grown with him, had become part of him even if he didn't want it, and surely tearing it apart from his soul had done damage. Was it the loss of Voldemort, who had arguably been his soulmate, and more importantly had been a Sky as well – one with whom he shared a bond that might not be Harmony, but had been just as deep, and had dictated both of their lives.

Or maybe it was a mix of all of this.

But he wouldn't wonder for years still, and at this moment, right after the battle, Harry had other things to do. More important things.


Anyone that had money on Reborn/Renato was right ! Although, NO I don't actually plan on Harry ending up with him. He might have another meaningless fling with him in the future, but nothing more. Sorry, peeps, as much as I like Harry/Renato as a pairing, Skull/Reborn is a big no in my book, unless it's really well-written, and I don't have faith in my ability to write it.

For anyone that was asking, if it wasn't clear, Harry is pretty much bisexual. However, he has a long way to go until he's ready for any sort of serious relationship.

As for his flames, yes, Harry is now purely Cloud. He'll keep some Sky traits, because it's his personality, but he won't have Sky flames anymore. That Shattered during the battle, because Soul Magick is a nasty thing.

Feedback is always appreciated ! I love to hear about your opinions, and what you liked, and such !

Next chapter will mostly deal with the aftermath of the battle. It's giving me a lot of trouble, though, so don't expect it to come too soon.

Thank you !